Though this isn’t the first time he's been hinted at in the MCU

During episode four of VisionQuest, old-school Marvel Comics fans got the name drop to end all name drops.

A subplot in the show thus far has involved a series of murders by a killer known as the Butcher Bird. The victims all founded a company named AI Research and Development, which was sold to Stark years ago (before the events of Iron Man). Vision (Paul Bettany) and the AIs living in his head determine that the next victim will be the last surviving founder of the company. So Vision and Tommy (Ruaridh Mollica) attend a benefit where she is speaking.

While on stage, the co-founder mentions Dr. Phineas Horton, who she calls “the great-grandfather of robotics.” She goes on to explain that he built “the first automaton AI,” known as “JIM” or “the synthetic man.” Vision then explains to Tommy that JIM was the first AI, and that he was “miraculous and flawed. His mind was obsolete from conception.” Vision explained that JIM’s “inability to process complex emotions spun his clockwork too quickly, [and this] flooded his solar cells with oxygen until his entire being was consumed in fire.”

In addition to all this, Marvel dropped a VisionQuest promo on Oct. 17 that reveals JIM’s appearance in the show: a copper-colored robot played by Paul Bettany that is covered in flames. But who are Dr. Phineas Horton and JIM? To find out you’ll have to venture back into truly ancient Marvel history.

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